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Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ Retrospective Part Four Chapter 13 Africa: Guns or Growth?

Posted in Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Global Initiative, Foreign Policy, Hard Choices, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, DRC, Fareed Zakaria, Hard Choices, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kenya, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Nelson Mandela, Retrospective, Secretary of State, South Africa, South Sudan, State Department, Tom Vilsack, Uganda on August 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Hillary Clinton describes the Obama Administration’s Africa policy in typical Hillary fashion as resting on four pillars.

Promoting opportunity and development,
Spurring economic growth, trade, and investment,
Advancing peace and security,
Strengthening democratic institutions.

China, as we know, is heavily invested in Africa. Her description of that relationship as one of exploitation of natural resources in exchange for glitzy structure and infrastructure that benefits them and excludes local labor. Her concern is the damage being inflicted by some foreign investment.

She quotes her remark to a TV interview question in Zambia in June 2011.

… our view is that over the long run, investments in Africa should be sustainable and for the benefit of the African people.

Confronted with a suggestion that the Chinese model, basically a hands-off local government model might serve African nations better than the good-governance model that could be interpreted as imposed by the west, responded:

It is easy – and we saw that during colonial times – it is easy to come in, take out natural resources, pay off leaders, and leave. And when you leave, you don’t leave much behind for the people who are there. You don’t improve the standard of living. You don’t create a ladder of opportunity.

We don’t want to see a new colonialism in Africa. We want, when people come to Africa and make investments, we want them to do well, but we also want them to do good. We don’t want them to undermine good governance. We don’t want them to basically deal with just the top elites and, frankly, too often pay for their concessions or their opportunities to invest.

Hillary Clinton’s Media Outreach: Three Interviews from Lusaka, Zambia

June 11, 2011 by still4hill

She mentions this speech where she spoke of sustainable partnerships that add rather than subtract value.

Hillary Clinton on Building Sustainable Partnerships in Africa

August 1, 2012 by still4hill

On the subject of the disturbing downward trend in electoral democracies on the continent she refers to a speech in 2011 at African Union Headquarters where she warned African leaders that the Arab Spring could spread. We wondered, viewing the video, why she was speaking in the dark. It turned out that there was a power outage that occurred while she spoke that might have been a coincidence. It is a message that older, entrenched leaders do not want to hear. Hillary remarks upon the reluctance of some of these leaders, often seen as liberators from colonialism, to cede power. The phenomenon is endemic on the continent.

She delivered a similar message to Arab elders at Forum for the Future in Morocco in November 2009. Neither was that audience particularly receptive to the message of inclusiveness. The Arab Spring was a reaction to policies that she knew then, through her interactions with civil society in Arab countries, would boil over sooner or later boil over. A look at the slideshow in this post speaks more than 1,000 words.

Video: Secretary Clinton’s Remarks at African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa

June 13, 2011 by still4hill

Putting forth the example of a grassroots Senegalese movement effectively defeating Abdoulaye Wade in their 2012 election, she posits that democratic change is possible in Africa and quotes further from her sustainable partnerships speech in Dakar.

I know there is sometimes an argument that democracy is a privilege belonging to wealthy countries, and that developing economies must put economic growth first and worry about democracy later. But that’s not the lesson of history. Over the long run, you can’t have effective economic liberalization without political liberalization … the United States will stand up for democracy and universal human rights, even when it might be easier or more profitable to look the other way, to keep the resources flowing. Not every partner makes that choice, but we do and we will.

Liberia, today so unfortunately stricken with the ebola epidemic, stands as a shining example of democracy in Africa as Hillary points out that former enemies on the field of battle now sit side by side in the legislative chambers.

Hillary Clinton’s Address to Joint Session of Liberian National Legislature

August 13, 2009 by still4hill

Some of you have seen a film that tells the story of a Liberian woman’s efforts to end the war. Tired of the killing and the conflict, she organized women at her church and then other churches and in mosques until thousands of Liberian women had joined a vocal, public movement demanding peace … These were women who woke up one day and said, “Enough, enough. We’re better than that … I know that the suffering of the people of Liberia has been broad and deep. But now, you each have a chance, both personally and publicly through your service here, to make a stand against the past and for a future that is worthy of the sacrifice and the suffering that went on too long. The United States is proud to support you.

Her 2009 visit to Kenya comprised several important speaking engagements to which she refers: The AGOA Forum (Clinton administration legislation), a “townterview” with Fareed Zakaria, a visit, with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, to an agricultural research institute, and the usual ministerials.

Hillary Clinton’s Address at the Africa Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) Forum in Kenya

August 5, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton’s Townterview at the University of Nairobi with Fareed Zakaria

August 7, 2009 by still4hill

Students greeted her with signs reading “corruption-free zone.” At this event Hillary shared the stage with Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathi who led a reforestation movement in Kenya. The issue of natural resources being decimated arose. You may recall that in her very lengthy confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Hillary was asked a question about natural resources in Africa (it might have come from John Kerry, but I am not certain). Immediately she responded that “Botswana comes to mind.” Here she shared the same example.

Botswana’s national trust fund has reinvested profits from its resources into the population and infrastructure with such success that both the Peace Corps and USAID pulled out of the country since their help was no longer needed. Hillary credits Botswana’s Five Ds for the success: Democracy, Development, Dignity, Discipline, Delivery.

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Hillary Clinton at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

August 5, 2009 by still4hill

Well-intentio9ned as they were, she notes that U.S. (and other) gifts of foodstuffs undercut the market for indigenous agricultural products. She points to the Feed the Future Program as one that supports local produce and addresses the challenge of transportation.

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Hillary Clinton With Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula

August 5, 2009 by still4hill

She also met with President Kibaki, Prime Minister Odinga, and the cabinet. There was tough talk, to which she refers, in this meeting but no transcript from the State Department. The agreed-upon shared power in the government was not going smoothly. Her subsequent words with Foreign Minister Wetangula provide some insight into the tone she adopted, however.

The United States worked hard last year with Kofi Annan and the team of African Eminent Persons to support the Kenyan people to resolve the crisis that afflicted this country. Unfortunately, resolving that crisis has not yet translated into the kind of political progress that the Kenyan people deserve. Instead, the absence of strong and effective democratic institutions has permitted ongoing corruption, impunity, politically motivated violence, human rights abuses, and a lack of respect for the rule of law.

These conditions helped fuel the post-election violence, and they are continuing to hold Kenya back. The reform agenda agreed to by the coalition government and discussed in the speech that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga gave this morning must be fully implemented not just to avoid a repeat of the previous crisis or worse, but more importantly, to set the stage for a better future, a future worthy of the dynamic people of this country, a future of economic growth, democratic development, social justice, and the opportunity for every Kenyan child to live up to his or her God-given potential. I wanted the leaders to know that we respect greatly the way that the Kenyan people pulled their country back from the brink of disaster once, and the ongoing connection between the private sector, civil society, and the government that is the key to resolving these issues.

Hillary’s description of her visit to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in summer 2009 is a contrasting patchwork of horror and hope. She begins with her visit, with NBA star Dkembe Mutombo to the pediatric unit he built and named for his mother.

Hillary Clinton at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center

August 10, 2009 by still4hill

There were so many bright and lovely moments on this first official State tour of Africa. Most of those were, sadly, not covered by the media, but no one missed the “snap in the Congo.” In an atmosphere that Hillary describes as sour with an air of sullen resignation in a stuffy auditorium at St. Joseph’s School. everyone saw her lose patience with a question, remove her earbuds, and tell a student at a town hall that she would not be channeling her husband.

Hillary Clinton’s Town Hall With Search for Common Ground and Congolese University Students

August 10, 2009 by still4hill

U.S. Secretary of State Clinton arrives at a town hall meeting with Congolese university students in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa

In the book, she explains that the student came to her after the event, apologized, and explained that he had not meant to ask her President Clinton’s opinion but rather President Obama’s.

Goma is one of the the grimmest, most dangerous places on earth, especially for women. Hillary tells of her visit there and the spirit she encountered among the residents of the refugee settlement she visited.

Hillary Clinton’s Day at the U.N. Internally Displaced Persons Camp, Goma, DRC

August 11, 2009 by still4hill

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She says she witnessed the worst and the best of humanity there. She was inspired to chair a U.N. Security Council meeting the next month on the subject of sexual violence in conflict regions.

Secretary Hillary Clinton Chairing Security Council Meeting Today

September 30, 2009 by still4hill

Secretary Clinton & Ambassador Rice: Remarks After Meeting on the Adoption of a UNSC Resolution to Combat Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict

September 30, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary turns at this point to her visit to Africa’s and the world’s newest country, South Sudan in August 2012 when a standoff between the breakout state and Sudan from which it had seceded was festering. South Sudan had oil and Sudan had the ports and refineries. Clearly some kind of cooperative agreement would benefit both, but South Sudan had shut down the pipeline to the North.

Hillary Clinton With Foreign Minister of South Sudan Nhial Deng Nhial

August 3, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton in South Sudan

August 3, 2012 by still4hill

The surface issue was fees charged by Sudan to transport and process the oil. Hillary used an Op-Ed by one of President Kir’s former comrades-in-arms, Bishop Elias Taban, once a boy soldier. Below the surface, the dispute rested on old battle wounds. Hillary told him “a percentage of something is better than a percentage of nothing.” Taban’s words moved Kir to accept a compromise. By 2:45 the next morning, the oil flowed again.

Hillary Clinton Welcomes Oil Agreement Between Sudan and South Sudan, Calls for Peace and Humanitarian Access

August 4, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary writes that South Sudan’s future remains uncertain, and indeed, while this post was being assembled the State Department issued this statement.

Bishop Taban, who provided the instrument that convinced President Kir to budge was her guest at last year’s Clinton Global Initiative where she presented him with the Global Citizen Award.

CGI 2013: Closing Plenary Session

September 26, 2013 by still4hill

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She reviews Somalia’s war-torn, terror-ridden history and our efforts to assist through several U.S. administrations. In August 2009, the president of the transitional government traveled to Nairobi to meet with her. She wondered if he would shake her hand, and he did so very enthusiastically which was a very big deal all around.

Hillary Clinton With Somali Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed

August 7, 2009 by still4hill

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They met again for a final time in their respective official positions in August 2012. A new president was elected the next month.

Hillary Clinton With Somali Roadmap Signatories in Kenya

August 4, 2012 by still4hill

At a military base in Uganda, U.S. Special Operations advisors showed her a surveillance drone used in the search for Joseph Kony chief of the Lord’s Resistance Army and elements of Al Shabaab. She notes that it resembled a child’s toy.

Hillary Clinton at Kasenyi Military Base in Uganda

August 3, 2012 by still4hill

She mentions the September 2013 attack by Al Shabaab on a shopping mall in Nairobi that killed Elif Yavuz who worked for the Clinton Health Access Initiative which battles HIV/AIDS and other health challenges.

Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Offer Condolences on the Death of Elif Yavuz

September 23, 2013 by still4hill

In the struggle to conquer HIV/AIDS on the continent, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) begun by George W. Bush plays a major role. She recalls this event in Johannesburg in 2009 where she was accompanied by Eric Goosby, the State Department’s Global AIDS Coordinator, her Congressional Representative, Nita Lowey, and the late, Honorable Donald Payne who was a friend of this blog.

Hillary Clinton at PEPFAR Event in South Africa

August 8, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary declared a goal of an AIDS-free generation on World AIDS Day 2011.

Secretary Clinton on World AIDS Day 2011

December 1, 2011 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton at the Reach Out Mbuya Health Center, in Kampala, Uganda

August 3, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary begins drawing this Africa chapter to a close in South Africa around Nelson Mandela beginning with recollections of her visits to South Africa as First Lady, the second time bringing Chelsea with her. A lifetime friendship ensued.

Hillary Clinton with Nelson Mandela

August 8, 2009 by still4hill

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nelson Mandela

One working relationship that brought many smiles over the years was her friendship with South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. She gave parties for Hillary on both of her visits. There was a rare snowfall on Hillary’s last visit and she was called ‘Nimkita’ – one who brings the snow.

Hillary Clinton With South African Minister of International Relations Nkoana-Mashabane

August 8, 2009 by still4hill

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (l) leaves after her meeting with International Relations minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane in Pretoria

Hillary Clinton with South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

August 7, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton’s Meeting With U.S. and South African Business Leaders

August 7, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton at a Dinner Hosted by South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

August 7, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary led a delegation of business leaders to this summit. Our friend Grace Bennett of Inside Chappaqua accompanied Hillary’s traveling press on this trip, and Hillary called her over to meet Maite.

Hillary Clinton at the U.S.-South Africa Business Partnership Summit

August 6, 2012 by still4hill

There was one last visit to Nelson Mandela.

Hillary Clinton Visits Nelson Mandela

August 6, 2012 by still4hill

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nelson Mandela

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel

Hillary Clinton at The United States – South Africa Partnership

August 8, 2012 by still4hill

She refers to these closing remarks in this speech.

It’s a burden being an American or a South African, because people expect you to really live up to those standards. People hold us to a higher set of standards, don’t they? And we owe it to all who came before, all who sacrificed and suffered, to do our very best to keep working every single day to meet those standards. But we mostly owe it to our future.

Many things have changed since Robert Kennedy came to Cape Town and Nelson Mandela left Robben’s Island. But some have not. The world we want to build together still demands the qualities of youth and a predominance of courage over timidity. So in that spirit, let us work together so that the values that shaped both our nations may also shape a world that is more peaceful, more prosperous, and more just.

Clintons Close CGI in Rio and Convene in South Africa to Honor Nelson Mandela

December 10, 2013 by still4hill

Hillary went on Air Force One with the Obamas and the Bushes. Bill and Chelsea went from Rio.

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Hillary ends this chapter with hopes for an Africa worthy of Nelson Mandela’s long walk to freedom.

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Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ Retrospective: Introduction

Access other chapters of this retrospective here >>>>

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Tweets from Hillary: Alarm and Advice for Ukraine

Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Twitter, tagged Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nelson Mandela, South Africa, Twitter, Ukraine on December 11, 2013| 9 Comments »

Flying home from South Africa’s memorial to Nelson Mandela, Hillary was catching up with international news.

Hillary ClintonVerified account ‏@HillaryClinton

On my way back to the U.S. from Madiba’s funeral and watching what’s going on in Ukraine with alarm.

Several hours later, having landed in New york, she tweeted again.

Hillary ClintonVerified account ‏@HillaryClinton

Just landed in NY. The Ukrainian government must follow Madiba’s example & choose dialogue with its people, not force.

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Clintons Close CGI in Rio and Convene in South Africa to Honor Nelson Mandela

Posted in Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, CGI, Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Willam Jefferson Clinton, tagged Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Brazil, CGI, Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Global Initiative, Dilma Rousseff, George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, Nelson Mandela, South Africa on December 10, 2013| 8 Comments »

President and Chelsea Clinton closed the Clinton Global Initiative Latin America and swiftly made their way to Johannesburg for the memorial to Nelson Mandela. President Dilma Rouseff of Brazil, who participated in CGI was also in attendance at the monumental event help in the soccer stadium that hosted the 2010 World Cup. CGI issued the following.In South Africa, they met up with Hillary who had flown from Washington on Air Force 1 with the Obamas and George W. and Laura Bush. The memorial reportedly drew 91 heads of state and heads of government.

International Leaders Close CGI Latin America Meeting with a Focus on Fortifying the Region’s Progress

CGI Latin America attendees announced 27 Commitments to Action valued at more than $222 million, which aim to positively impact the lives of more than 500,000 people

President Clinton convened Top business, government, and NGO leaders, including President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, NIKE President and CEO Mark Parker, Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno, Grupo Omnilife CEO Angélica Fuentes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Municipalidad Metropolitana de Lima Susana Villarán de la Puente, Natura Chief Executive Officer Alessandro Carlucci, Pro Mujer President and CEO Rosario Pérez, Gerdau Chairman of the Board of Directors Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter, and BTG Pactual Chief Executive OfficerAndré Esteves, convened December 8-10 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to promote successful efforts already underway in the region and advance new solutions to the social and economic challenges that remain

Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, hosted the sixth Clinton Foundation Day of Action on December 8, bringing people together for a day of volunteering, giving back to the local community in Rio de Janeiro by transforming a community day care center in the Morro do Vidigal neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro – Today, the Clinton Global Initiative Latin America (CGI Latin America) meeting concluded in Rio de Janeiro, where leaders from across Latin America and around the world explored how to carry Latin America’s social and economic progress into the future. Government leaders, top CEOs, and executives from leading NGOs focused on developing human capacity, designing for green growth, and harnessing innovation and technology in the region.

Participants developed and announced 27 Commitments to Action – new, specific, and measurable plans to address a challenge facing Latin America. These 27 commitments, valued at more than $222 million, will positively impact the lives of more than 500,000 people in Latin America and beyond. Overall, CGI members have made more than 2,500 commitments, which are improving the lives of more than 430 million people in over 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $87.9 billion. Of these, CGI members globally had already made 616 commitments around the world that directly impact the Latin American region since the Clinton Global Initiative launched in 2005. More than 250 of these commitments are specifically designed to improve lives throughout Latin America exclusively, and have an estimated value of $4.6 billion dollars when fully funded and implemented.

As part of the event, Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, hosted the sixth Clinton Foundation Day of Action on December 8, bringing people together for a day of volunteering in Rio de Janeiro. Volunteers helped transform the Mini Creche Santo Amaro – a community day care center in the Morro do Vidigal community of Rio de Janeiro. Started by Chelsea Clinton in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Clinton Foundation ‘Day of Action” program seeks to create service opportunities and mobilize thousands of volunteers to give back to their respective communities. This was the sixth Day of Action, which all together has mobilized a total of 3,000 people donating more than 15,000 volunteer hours. This was the first Day of Action outside of the United States.

This meeting reflects President Clinton’s ongoing efforts through the Clinton Foundation to mobilize philanthropy and corporate social responsibility in all parts of the globe. Since leaving office, President Clinton has made many trips to Latin America. CGI Latin America built on President Clinton’s years of dedication to the region, from his time in government to the Clinton Foundation’s work in Latin America.

Since 2007, the Clinton Climate Initiative and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group have been empowering cities in Latin America to invest in green technologies and fight climate change— including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo’s deployment of low-carbon transportation, Bogotá, Colombia’s retrofitting of traffic lights, and Mexico City’s improvement of waste management systems.

Since 2007, the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (Enterprise Partnership) empowers individuals across Latin America to work themselves out of poverty. The Enterprise Partnership creates distribution, supply chain and programs training social enterprises, including the Acceso Training Center in Colombia that will place 20,000 people in jobs and the Chakipi Distribution venture that will train 3,000 women for distribution jobs in Peru.

The Clinton Foundation, since 2010, has raised a total of $34 million for Haiti, including relief funds and also conducts projects focused on supporting Haiti’s small and medium businesses, improving livelihoods, enhancing education and exploring the nexus of agriculture, energy and environment.

Sponsors for the CGI Latin America meeting included: Amil, Andrade Gutierrez, CCR, CNI, ExxonMobil, Grupo ABC, Grupo Contax, Grupo Puntacana, Inter-American Development Bank, InterEnergy, Itaú Unibanco, Laureate Education, Light, OAS, Oi, PWC, Rockefeller Foundation, Santander, The Coca-Cola Company, The Dow Chemical Company, and Valor Econômico.

New CGI Commitments to Action made at the meeting include:

L!VE-Brazil: Healthy Kids, Improved Lives
Commitment By: SHE Foundation; Fundació Fútbol Club Barcelona; Inter-American Development Bank
Partner(s): Sesame Workshop; Fundación Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares; Nike, Inc.; Mount Sinai Foundation; Neymar Foundation
In 2013, SHE Foundation, Futbol Club Barcelona Foundation, and the Inter-American Development Bank committed to develop L!VE-Brazil, a school-based intervention program that utilizes new technologies and interactive activities to engage children and promote behavioral changes necessary to prevent the rise of chronic disease. L!VE-Brazil will adapt Sesame Workshop content for use in Brazilian pre-schools, developing materials to promote a reduction of sedentary behavior and adoption of a healthier lifestyle.

Teaching Retrofitting to Foster Safer Housing in Colombia
Commitment By: Build Change
Partner(s): Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje; SwissContact; Risk Management Solutions, Inc.
In 2013, Build Change committed to develop the capacity of Colombia’s Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje and other Colombian organizations by providing Training-of-Trainers in retrofitting techniques. Build Change will design two targeted courses: the first course will teach Colombian engineers, architects and construction technicians to conduct seismic evaluations, produce retrofitting designs and provide supervision during retrofitting; the second course will train builders in retrofitting techniques. Those trained will in turn train other implementing organizations in Colombia.

The Water for São Paulo Movement
Commitment By: The Nature Conservancy
Partner(s): FEMSA; Ambev; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Itaú Unibanco S/A; Sotreq; Town of Extrema; Grupo ABC
In 2013, The Nature Conservancy committed to mobilize a broad coalition of businesses, government agencies, water utilities, nonprofit organizations and watershed committees over a two-year period to fund, implement and manage green infrastructure conservation and restoration projects in São Paulo’s most important watersheds. This commitment will create the enabling conditions to restore 30,000 acres of priority water-provision areas, conserve 370,500 hectares of standing forests and control erosion on 5,434 hectares over the following ten years.

Generating Employment Opportunities for Youth in LAC
Commitment By: Inter-American Development Bank
Partner(s): Microsoft Corporation; Caterpillar Inc.; WalMart Stores, Inc.; International Youth Foundation; CEMEX Corporation; Arcos Dorados; Confederação Nacional da Indústria (CNI)
In 2013, The Inter-American Development Bank committed to roll out the implementation of the New Employment Opportunities program in 10 Latin American countries. These programs will build multi-stakeholder alliances to design effective youth employability strategies to achieve the common goal of significantly boosting job entry for 500,000 disadvantaged youth across Latin America, at least 50% of which will be women and girls. Ultimately, the NEO seeks to incorporate the most effective job skills programs into public education systems, national employment services and job training institutions, building the capacity to respond to the growing demands of both businesses and poor and low-income youth.

New Social Finance Tools to Impact 100,000 Lives in Brazil
Commitment By: SITAWI
Partner(s): Mais Unidos Group; WalMart Stores, Inc.; The Dow Chemical Company; Instiglio; Família C
In 2013, SITAWI committed to expanding its loan and donor-advised fund offering by $3.5 million to now total $5 million in new funds and mechanisms to transform the social and philanthropic sector in Brazil. SITAWI and its partners will develop tools, raise funds and operate them in sector-specific or community-based funds. This will create a tool to support long-term collaborations between social sector organizations, allowing them to achieve economies of scale and more transformational outcomes. By supporting ongoing efforts to create social impact bonds in Brazil; these new mechanisms will be open to new donors and partners creating the opportunity to engage multiple stakeholders.

Leveraging Opportunities for Amazonian Indigenous Youth
Commitment By: IKEA Foundation
Partner(s): Forest Trends; Associação Metareilá do Povo Indígena Surui; Equipe de Conservação da Amazônia (ECAM); Yawawaná Cultural Association; Acre Pro-Indian Commission; Kanindé Association
In 2013, the IKEA Foundation committed to creating opportunities for indigenous youth and women in the Surui and Yawanawa territories in the Brazilian Amazon, increasing their income generating capacity and improving their livelihoods from the sustainable management of their forests. This will be done through agroforestry training; sustainable renewable energy installation and training; peer youth learning exchanges, and women’s empowerment. The objective of this initiative is to provide youth with the long-term prosperity and sustainable management of their land while continuing to financially support generations to come. The programs aim to affect 160 youth and 200 women by 2016.

Scaling Social Impact Bonds in Latin America
Commitment By: Instiglio
Partner(s): SITAWI
In 2013, Instiglio committed to launch two Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) in Latin America over a three year period. This not only marks the launch of the first SIB in Latin America, but potentially the first SIB in a low or middle income country. SIBs will provide up-front capital to scale early interventions in areas as diverse as early childhood development and diabetes management; with governments or international donors paying based on the achievement of measured results.

Communities and Kids Bite Back to Control Dengue
Commitment By: UBS AG
Partner(s): University of California, Berkeley; CIET International; Brandeis University; Municipality of Rio de Janeiro; Redes de Desenvolvimento da Maré; Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; RedeTrel
In 2013, the UBS Optimus Foundation committed to fund an initiative to curb the spread of dengue in Latin America. The foundation will expand on Camino Verde’s successful pilot project to develop protocols for pesticide free interventions and a cluster randomized control trial, will conduct a trial to determine the capacity for the municipal and state governments to collaborate with community-led prevention efforts in Mexico, and pilot Dengue Torpedo, a mobile-application in Rio de Janeiro, which will be used as community platform to map mosquito breeding sites and provide low-cost education in health literacy.

Crafting Security: Advancing Artisan Incomes
Commitment By: Global Goods Partners
Partner(s): New York University; Swaziland Fair Trade Organization; Kiej de los Bosques, S.A.
In 2013, Global Goods Partners committed to develop and implement a well-structured, custom designed training and mentoring program that will match training and expertise to its partners’ needs, thereby providing the critical components needed to develop sustainable craft enterprises. Over a three year period, GGP committed to train and mentor 20 organizations from Asia, Africa and Latin America, impacting the live of 3,000 craft makers that make a living from their craft enterprises.

Turning Waste into Opportunities: Dominican Republic & Haiti
Commitment By: Ciudad Saludable
Partner(s): ECORED; Ministry of Environment, Dominican Republic; CCN Giresol
In 2013, Ciudad Saludable committed to support the integration of waste pickers to the formal sector through the launch and implementation of five solid waste management projects in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. These projects will improve the working and living conditions of waste pickers by developing micro-enterprises, strengthening waste pickers’ capacities, and creating a market for recycling materials. Over a three year period 140 waste pickers will enter the formal work sector, indirectly benefiting thousands through improved waste management and decreased CO2 emissions.

High-Impact Agriculture for Colombia’s Small-Scale Farmers
Commitment By: Fairtrasa
Partner(s): Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; Endeavor Global; abc* Foundation
In 2013, Fairtrasa committed to partner with 3,000 small-scale banana, avocado, and lime farmers and 300 packers in Colombia to bring their local produce to global markets at fair prices in a $1.5 million program over a four-year period. Fairtrasa will implement its three-tier development model to support farmers at all development stages, by providing them with seeds, capital, tailored training programs and technical support, helping them obtain export certifications, and connecting them to Fairtrasa’s global sales network.

Active Kids Do Better: Reshaping Brazil’s Decade of Sport
Commitment By: Nike, Inc.
Partner(s): United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Inter-American Development Bank; Natura Cosméticos S.A.; Municipality of Rio de Janeiro; Caixa Econômica Federal; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale (GIZ); BMZ (German Federal Ministry for Econ Cooperation and Dev’t); Instituto Bola Pra Frente; Central Única das Favelas
In 2013, NIKE, Inc. committed to join an unprecedented partnership of over 25 international and Brazilian organizations in the first effort to operationalize a global program, ‘Designed to Move’ in Brazil. The first component, the Active Schools Pilot, will increase both the quantity and quality of physical activity during school hours by building capacity of teachers and shifting school culture to value the overall benefits of physical activity. In the second component, Active Communities, Nike along with Caixa and Natura, will lead the private sector in funding grassroots sports and physical activity programs by embracing Brazil’s innovative corporate tax credit system. Combined, these two components will directly impact the lives of 44,500 children in Brazil over a four year period, with plans to significantly scale impact over the next five years.

Team Brazil Social Legacy Fund
Commitment By: streetfootballworld
Partner(s): SITAWI; Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
In 2013, streetfootballworld committed to create the Team Brazil Social Legacy Fund, a unique funding mechanism that leverages the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Brazil that will directly impact over 25,000 youth and children in Brazil. This fund will pool financial resources from partners all over the world to provide long-term sustainable support for sport-based development projects in Brazil. The overall aim of the fund is to be an inclusive investment opportunity for actors across the globe to contribute to a positive social legacy of the mega events in Brazil, and empower young, disadvantaged Brazilians with the skills necessary to create a better future for themselves and their communities

Bananeira Gera Renda- Generating Income for Women in Brazil
Commitment By: OAS S.A.
Partner(s): Municipality of Novo Lino
In 2013, OAS committed to certifying 200 women, from a community in Northeastern Brazil, in developing craft techniques using banana tree fibers. Teaching this technique will open new fronts of opportunity for these women, who will also receive training in entrepreneurship and cooperative management skills. By continuing to produce handmade goods in a sustainable way, they will improve the living conditions of local families.

Scaling Up STEM Brasil: Empowering Science and Math Teachers
Commitment By: Worldfund
Partner(s): Credit Suisse; Federative Republic of Brazil
In 2013, Worldfund committed to replicate and expand the STEM Brasil program by training an additional two-hundred teachers, consequently improving educational opportunities for 20,000 students in the state of São Paulo. By incorporating project-based training methods that develop 21st century skills into the state-mandated curriculum, Worldfund provides innovative methodology and pertinent activities that result in long-term improvements in teacher instructional methods and student learning outcomes.

Spreading Knowledge: Micro MBA for BOP Entrepreneurs
Commitment By: Frogtek
In 2013, Frogtek committed to develop a free mobile based application which will provide a micro MBA education to 10,000 entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid in Colombia and Mexico. By educating these shopkeepers with fundamental business administration principles, Frogtek seeks to increase the sustainability and success of small businesses as they face heightened competition from larger businesses. Frogtek will also recruit experts in gaming, behavioral change techniques, and best business practices to develop a user friendly, innovative curriculum and coordinate the technical production of the mobile app.

Responsible Artisanal Fishing Systems: Restoring Ecosystems
Commitment By: AgroFrontera
Partner(s): Counterpart International; MacArthur Foundation; FoProBim
In 2013, AgroFrontera committed to work with artisanal fishing communities, fish and seafood companies, and other stakeholders in the northern border region of the Hispaniola Island to design, test and implement innovative cross-border value chains that link products from responsible fishing systems to high-value markets through the new SMART Association artisanal fishing certification program. Over two years, 500 fishers and 1200 fish workers will be directly impacted by the implementation of this commitment and an additional 28,400 family members, eco-tourism companies, local students and farmers, will indirectly benefit from the productivity or protective services provided by the marine ecosystems.

Nestlé Nutrir Crianças Saudáveis (Nestlé Healthy Kids)
Commitment By: Nestlé
Partner(s): International Assocation of Athletics Federations; Instituto Bola Pra Frente; Instituto Fernanda Keller; Casa do Zezinho; Bairro da Juventude
In 2013, Nestlé committed to expand its Nestlé Healthy Kids Program in Brazil (Nestlé Nutrir Crianças Saudáveis) with the objective of raising nutrition and health knowledge and promoting physical activity among 1 million more school-age children in Brazil. Nestlé will evaluate the performance and progress of each participating school, and provide positive incentives by presenting the annual Nestlé Nutrir award to the best school boasting outstanding progress.

Coca-Cola Coletivo: Scaling Sustainable Communities
Commitment By: The Coca-Cola Company
Partner(s): Inter-American Development Bank
In 2013, The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, committed to refine and expand the Coca-Cola Coletivo platform through a $16 million investment across three countries in Latin America and 12 cities in Brazil. This will impact more than 34,000 people in Brazil alone by 2017. This commitment, which is integrated into TCCC’s value chain and is co-funded by the Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund, will enhance opportunities to find employment, create new business enterprises and strengthen the self-confidence of low income residents in affected communities.

Water and Cities: Sharing Challenges and Solutions
Commitment By: Conservation International
Partner(s): Municipality of Rio de Janeiro; City of Bogota; Mexico City
In 2013, Conservation International committed to promote and facilitate a partnership among the cities of Bogota, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro to address the issue of ecosystem degradation resulting from urban growth and land use change, and the effects of climate change. Conservation International will help each city create a local alliance between local, state and/or national level governments, academia, the private sector, development agencies and civil society organizations and support the coordination, funding and management of local programs to protect ecosystems as well as to scale up ongoing activities in each city.

The Amapá Initiative
Commitment By: Conservation International
Partner(s): Amapá State Government; Fundo Vale; Global Conservation Fund
In 2013, Conservation International (CI) committed to supporting the two-year start-up phase of the Brazilian Amazon conservation project Amapá Initiative, an integrated approach for development that builds the capacity of civil society, promotes enabling policies and a strong governance system, and bolsters sustainable production chains in the protected forests. The initiative will help communities access markets and create their own associations with trainings in forest and watershed management. After the start-up phase, CI will implement these activities more broadly across the state of Amapá with the goal of an autonomous, stakeholder-led initiative with a fully capitalized endowment by 2020.

Investing in English Teacher Training Programs in Mexico
Commitment By: Worldfund
Partner(s): Dartmouth College; Credit Suisse; Google Inc.; Marshall Wace Asset Management
In 2013, Worldfund and Dartmouth College committed to expand their successful program, the Inter-American Partnership for Education (IAPE) to improve teacher quality in Mexico through an intensive two-week U.S.-based pedagogical training program. The program brings high-quality English language training to Mexican teachers and ensures language retention, enthusiasm, and learning outcomes in their students. With the opening of a second training site in Mexico, IAPE will double its training to 720 teachers per year in 2016 and will have impacted an estimated 700,000 students per year. After 2016, the program will continue to add an additional 160,000 students per year.

Responsible Fans: Stopping Violence in Football
Commitment By: Republic of Colombia
Partner(s): Fundación Colombianitos; streetfootballworld; Tiempo de Juego; Contexto Urbano
In 2013, the Colombian Ministry of Internal Affairs committed to bring together leaders from barras (football club supporters) and communities most affected by violence associated with football, in an effort to reduce conflict. This project will identify and promote six community engagement initiatives developed in partnership with the young barristas and community leaders, providing conflict resolution training, capacity building and business development skills to support them to develop a joint business plan. Six projects will be selected for implementation by the Ministry and provided with seed funding. The project will be rigorously monitored and evaluated to pave the way for future replication throughout Colombia.

Supporting the Growth of Brazil’s Women-Led SMES
Commitment By: Itaú Unibanco S/A
Partner(s): Inter-American Development Bank; IFC
In 2013, Itaú committed to develop tailored financial products and services to directly meet the needs of women entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Over a two year period, Itaú will recruit 1,500 female entrepreneurs in partnership with the Goldman Sachs Foundation’s ‘Ten Thousand Women’ Program and other businesses. Itaú will work closely with the selected clients to develop products and services that cater directly to their needs. They will also develop and implement an innovative decision-making matrix for risk assessment of women-led SMEs and the lessons learned will be used to adapt the model for future replication in Brazil.

TAKTAKTAK.COM: Learning by Playing
Commitment By: Innova y Moderniza tu Aprendizaje AC (INOMA)
Partner(s): United Mexican States; Grupo BBVA Bancomer; Nacional Monte de Piedad
In 2013, INOMA committed to significantly expand the reach and content of TAKTAKTAK.COM, an online platform that offers free educational games for children, ages 6 to 10. Over a two year period, INOMA will reach 120,000 in Mexico City and in the State of Puebla. Additionally, INOMA will complement the platform with 40 new games that will cover a broader spectrum of the basic education curriculum. Finally, INOMA will develop and implement a predictive algorithm that monitors each user’s learning progress, collecting crucial feedback to improve the games platform and provide educational authorities and institutions with aggregated data which may inform and improve national education strategies.

Social Entrepreneurs Positively Transforming Communities
Commitment By: FEMSA
Partner(s): Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; Technology University of Monterrey; United Mexican States; Universidad del Valle de Mexico; Universidad de Monterrey; Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica; Impact Hub; The Pool; GreenMomentum
In 2013, FEMSA committed to promote social entrepreneurship and job creation in Mexico by supporting 520 social entrepreneurship projects over the course of 4 years, with a total investment of $4.5 million dollars. FEMSA will do this by strengthening and expanding the scope of key programs and alliances, including Ashoka’s Youth with Value program, which promotes a social entrepreneurship culture among young students, providing them with tools, counseling, and seed capital. FEMSA will develop a comprehensive entrepreneurship development strategy, which encompasses all stages from idea generation through the launch and early growth of the new companies.

Clean Energy for Latin America and the Caribbean
Commitment By: InterEnergy
In 2013, InterEnergy committed to invest $100 million dollars in equity capital toward renewable energy projects in Latin America and the Caribbean over the course of the next two years. With a focus on solar and wind power, as well potential for some biomass, the combined size of the projects is ultimately expected to surpass $300 million dollars. Using a market-based approach, the commitment will drive sustainable development in the region by both decreasing carbon emissions as well as lowering the price of power for consumers.

Progress on CGI Commitments to Action announced on stage at the meeting include:

Unlocking the Power of Microalgae: A New Source of Sustainable Oil
Commitment By: Solazyme
Partner(s): Unilever, Mitsui, AkzoNobel, Bunge, Sasol
In 2013, Solazyme committed to scaling the production of a new source of sustainable renewable algal oil for use in consumer products. Solazyme will use one of the world’s smallest microbes, microalgae, to help alleviate pressure and environmental damage in fragile equatorial ecosystems through the replacement of palm oil in products with algal oil. Their technology divorces geography from natural oil production so this oil can be produced anywhere at any time, thus alleviating deforestation pressures around the fragile equator band. With its partner in Brazil, Solazyme is building the world’s first fit for purpose renewable oil plant, which, when at full capacity, will have a greenhouse gas reductions impact equivalent to planting 10 million trees a year.

Scaling Up PESCA
Commitment By: PUNTACANA Resort & Club (PCRC)
Partner(s): Dominican Republic; Club Med; University of Miami; Reef Check Foundation; Cap Cana; Counterpart International; Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute; Dominican Council of Fishing and Agriculture (CODOPESCA); Hotel Association of the La Altagracia Province; Juanillo Fishermen’s Association
In 2011, Puntacana Resort & Club, through the Partnership for Ecologically Sustainable Coastal Areas (PESCA), committed to significantly scale up its coral restoration efforts by developing restoration programs in strategic areas throughout the Dominican Republic in order to protect key coral species and to rehabilitate the local reef ecosystems that the tourist industry in Punta Cana depends upon. As of March 2013, 6 coral nurseries have been established in the Dominican Republic totaling more than 1.1 km of linear tissue and more than 1,300 staghorn coral fragments encompassing, 21 distinct traceable genotypes; representing the largest genotypic diversity being tracked for this species in the Caribbean, excluding Florida. In April 2012, the Puntacana Ecological Foundation (PCEF) signed a collaboration agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank to promote coral gardening as a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional tourism and in August 2012, established the Puntacana Marine area as a protected Habitat and Species area. By November 2012 an additional 104 new lobster houses were deployed in a pre-designated 60,000 m2 no fishing zone, on the back reef area of Punta Cana.

A Financially Sustainable Model to Empower Poor, Rural Girls
Commitment By: Fundación Paraguaya
Partner(s): Nike Foundation; Teach a Man To Fish; Teach a Man To Fish; The MasterCard Foundation; Moises Bertoni Foundation (MBF); Sega School
In 2008, Fundacion Paraguay and its partners made a commitment to transform the lives of impoverished girls in rural environments by addressing access to education alongside the environmental degradation in their communities. This was achieved by the piloting of a financially self-sustaining agro-forestry school in Paraguay which transformed girls from poor, farming families into ‘rural entrepreneurs,’ giving them the skills and tools necessary to compete in the market while sustainably managing their land. The goal of this commitment was to expand this successful pilot program worldwide. There are now four girls’ schools replicating this model: one in Paraguay as well three additional countries in East Africa with a total of 501 students enrolled.

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In South Africa, they met up with Hillary who had flown from Washington on Air Force 1 with the Obamas and George W. and Laura Bush.

The memorial reportedly drew 91 heads of state and heads of government. H/T to mynix for sharing this raw footage from the event.

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Clintons Launch Another Global Initiative in Advance of Mandela Memorials

Posted in Bill Clinton, CGI, Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Global Initiative, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Willam Jefferson Clinton, tagged Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Global Initiative, George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, Nelson Mandela, South Africa on December 9, 2013| 8 Comments »

As the Clinton Global Initiative Latin America convenes in Rio de Janeiro, heads of state are making their way to South Africa for the commencement of memorials and tributes to Nelson Mandela.

Chelsea Clinton got the activities off the ground yesterday with a Day of Action.

Chelsea Clinton Leads ‘Day of Action’ Ahead of CGI Latin America
Revitalizing Community Day Care Center in Rio de Janeiro

First Day of Action outside of the United States led by the Clinton Foundation with Grupo ABC, Luciano Huck, Pampers, and Student Volunteers from Laureate University and Centro Universitario IBMR

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – On Sunday, December 8th, the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, Grupo ABC, Luciano Huck, Pampers and students from Laureate University and Centro Universitario IBMR completed a transformation of Mini Creche Santo Amaro – a community day care center in the Morro do Vidigal neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.

The Mini Creche Santo Amaro has taken care of young children between the ages of 2-6 years old from low income families regardless of their ability to pay for services for the last 22 years through minimal financial support.

Led by Chelsea Clinton, the completed volunteer work created a brand new façade, a new playground, library, kitchen, media room, nursery area, classroom and office area and provided additional needed services including painting, electrical and structural maintenance.

Founded by Chelsea Clinton in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Clinton Foundation ‘Day of Action” program seeks to create service opportunities and mobilize thousands of volunteers to give back to their respective communities. This was the sixth Day of Action, which all together have mobilized a total of 3,000 people donating more than 15,000 volunteer hours.

This week, President Bill Clinton will host international leaders, including President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, from the business, government, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors at the Clinton Global Initiative Latin America (CGI Latin America) meeting December 8-10 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

For photos from this event, please visit our Flickr page.

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., Hillary joined the Obamas and Bushes aboard Air Force 1 for the 16 hour flight to South Africa. President Clinton and Chelsea will meet up with them in Johannesburg tomorrow after concluding their CGI duties. As you know Hillary gets along very well with Laura Bush and Michelle Obama. There has been no mention as to whether Secretary Kerry will be attending.

Obama, Bush, Clinton Fly to South Africa to Honor Mandela

Nelson Mandela’s funeral is scheduled for Dec. 15 in South Africa

By Rebekah Metzler

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama left for Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday morning to attend a memorial service for Nelson Mandela, the freedom fighter and first black president of South Africa, who died Thursday.

The Obamas were joined on Air Force One by former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to a White House pool report. Former President Bill Clinton and former President Jimmy Carter were not on the jet, but are expected to attend the service for Mandela.

Read more >>>>

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Statement on the Passing of Nelson Mandela

Posted in Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Foundation, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, tagged Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Foundation, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nelson Mandela, South Africa on December 5, 2013| 5 Comments »

Statement by President Clinton on the Passing of Nelson Mandela

Statement

Today the world has lost one of its most important leaders and one of its finest human beings. And Hillary, Chelsea and I have lost a true friend.

History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion for human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation. We will remember him as a man of uncommon grace and compassion, for whom abandoning bitterness and embracing adversaries was not just a political strategy but a way of life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Graça and his family and to the people of South Africa. All of us are living in a better world because of the life that Madiba lived. He proved that there is freedom in forgiving, that a big heart is better than a closed mind, and that life’s real victories must be shared.

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Hillary Clinton’s Meeting With Embassy Staff and Families in Cape Town

Posted in Foreign Policy, Foreign Service, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, Uncategorized, tagged Africa, Cape Town, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, South Africa, State Department, U.S. Department of State on August 8, 2012| 14 Comments »

Meeting With Embassy Staff and Their Families

Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Table Bay Hotel

Cape Town, South Africa

August 8, 2012

Well, it’s always a pleasure being in Cape Town, and I remember exploring Cape Town for the first time with Erica, and it’s just wonderful seeing someone who has loved this city for so long coming back and leading our consulate. And it’s also especially touching that her husband is leading our consulate in Durban. And he was with me in Pretoria yesterday, and between the two of them, they are a dynamic duo for American diplomacy.

I also very much – yes – (applause) – you can give them both a round of applause. Thank you. I’m also very, very pleased to be joined by the Ambassador – Ambassador Gips and Liz Gips, who – Liz Berry Gips, right? – who is just a terrific partner to the Ambassador in everything he’s doing on behalf of our relationship with the country. Don and Liz and their three sons have just made a tremendous difference in connecting up people to people and in civil society and NGOs, as well as the day-to-day work between our governments.

And I’m here to say thank you. Thank you for everything you all do every single day on behalf of this really vital relationship. I just finished speaking at the Western Cape University about the importance of the relationship between the United States and South Africa, not only with respect to what we do between our two countries, but what we must do throughout the world. And you are doing an excellent job of carrying our values, promoting our interests, and deepening our relationship.

Now, I was told that I came at a heartbreaking time – the Stormers just lost to the Sharks. I have no idea what that means – (laughter) – but I’m glad everyone is moving on. We’ll have grief counselors available – (laughter) – for those of you in the deepest mourning. But your partnership is truly making a difference, especially in our work on HIV/AIDS. As you know, I was just at South Delft Clinic having a chance to witness the signing between the Minister of Health and our Ambassador of our new framework for implementing the partnership agreement that I signed with Minister Mashabane two years ago.

Last year in South Africa, more than 1.1 million people received anti-retroviral treatment with PEPFAR’s support. Seven hundred and twenty thousand pregnant women with HIV got services to prevent passing on the virus to their babies. More than a half a million orphans received care and support. And truly, I want to applaud all of you, every one of you who’s helped to make a difference in the lives of so many people here.

Now the agreement that was signed today starts the transition of PEPFAR’s work to South African control. And this year, this agreement comes after years of collaboration between our governments working to meet this incredible challenge. But whether you’re working on HIV/AIDS or building and sustaining relationships with the South African parliament or hosting groups of visiting American lawmakers, you are really contributing very directly to this important relationship at this time.

I especially want to acknowledge our Foreign Service family members who are here without your loved ones. Now, I know some of the kids had to go to the third day of the new school year. I thank those of you who let your children miss school. But I know you’re missing a lot of other people who aren’t here, and I want to thank you for them and you.

And to our locally employed staff – will all of our South African staff raise your hand – all the South African staff? Well, I want to thank each and every one of you for the contributions you are making to this consulate. (Applause.) Consul generals come and go, ambassadors come and go, Secretaries come and go, but our locally employed staff really provides the continuity. You provide the memory bank of everything that went before, and we could not do this work without you as our colleagues working side by side every single day.

Now, as some of you may know, this post is home our longest serving locally employed staff member in all of sub-Saharan Africa: James Brody. (Applause.) Mr. Brody has kept things running for more than 40 years. And we thank you for your service, your dedication, and your example. Thank you very much, sir. (Applause.)

So again, let me say thank you and how grateful I am, and on behalf of myself and President Obama, I want to thank you for your commitment to representing the United States so well. I’ve got to admit, though, it’s not exactly a hardship post. (Laughter.) I’m sitting here with the sun raining down on my back, looking at the port – you know – (laughter) – it was snowing in Pretoria yesterday. But on a very personal level, I’m very proud to be your colleague and to have the chance to represent the United States at this very important time in the history of this extraordinary country. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

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Hillary Clinton at The United States – South Africa Partnership

Posted in Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton Images, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged Africa, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, South Africa, State Department, The United States - South Africa Partnership, U.S. Department of State on August 8, 2012| 3 Comments »

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The United States – South Africa Partnership: Going Global

Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

University of Western Cape

Cape Town, South Africa

August 8, 2012

Thank you all. Please be seated. I want to thank the Archbishop for those introductory remarks and to say Amen, because what he has set the stage for is a time of reflection that I am honored to share with you about the kind of future that we seek for the students of this great university and for all the young people of South Africa and the world. So thank you, Archbishop, and thanks to all the other distinguished guests, including

Ambassador of the United States to South Africa, Ambassador Gips and the Ambassador of South Africa to Washington, Ambassador Rasool, a native of the Western Cape and someone closely associated with this university. In fact, when it was suggested that I deliver a speech in South Africa and we asked the South African Embassy in Washington, there was only one answer – (laughter) – the University of the Western Cape. (Applause.)

And of course, it is a most fitting institution despite the Ambassador’s prejudice – (laughter) – because this distinguished, diverse, and storied university has played such an important role in birthing a new South Africa. At a time when apartheid was deeply entrenched, the faculty and staff of Western Cape took a brave stand against division. Over the years, they were in the vanguard of the struggle for justice, even giving thought to a new constitution. It’s only appropriate that this university and this area of South Africa, which has known both the despair of apartheid and the birth of new freedom, was once called the Cape of Storms before it became the Cape of Good Hope.

I first came to South Africa in 1994 for the inauguration of Nelson Mandela, someone who is of course a great leader and a hero to many, including myself. I sat at the inauguration and watched as jets from the South African Defense Force streaked across the sky, their contrails tinted with all the colors of the new national flag. For decades, those jets had been a powerful symbol of the system of apartheid. But on that day, they dipped their wings in salute to their new commander in chief.

For those of us who witnessed the ceremony, it was a searing moment. Here was a man who had spent 27 years as a political prisoner not far from here, now being sworn in as president. And President Mandela’s journey represented something even larger – his country’s journey, the journey of your parents and grandparents and great grandparents, a long but steady march toward freedom for all its people. Being present at the birth of this new democracy was an experience that not only I, but the world, will never forget.

We are now 18 years removed from that iconic moment. If you’re a student here at UWC, you were probably just a toddler back then. A few of you might not even have been born yet. You didn’t just grow up in a democratic South Africa – you grew up with a democratic South Africa. Today, your country is different from the one I visited in 1994, and so too are the challenges you must confront and the opportunities that are there for the seizing.

In this pivotal time, the United States of America is committed to supporting you. As President Barack Obama said so memorably in Ghana in 2009, the nations of Africa need partnership, not patronage; not strongmen, but strong institutions. And the United States seeks to build sustained partnerships that help African nations, including this one, to fulfill your own aspirations.

I am here on a trip that has taken me from West Africa, to East Africa, to the Horn, and now to the south. In each place, I have seen America’s partners taking charge of solving tough problems. In South Sudan, the new government of a nation only a year old, made a courageous decision to restart oil production for the benefit of its people. In Uganda, I met with soldiers fighting terrorists in Somalia and working to end Joseph Kony’s reign of terror with the Lord’s Resistance Army. In Malawi, I met not only a new female president, Joyce Banda, but also a group of remarkable teenage girls building their skills and confidence, and a group of village women improving their incomes and their families’ futures through banding together in a dairy cooperative.

At every stop, I’ve described how the Obama Administration’s comprehensive strategy with Africa rests on four pillars, which the Archbishop just mentioned: first, promoting opportunity and development; second, spurring economic growth, trade and investment; third, advancing peace and security; and fourth, strengthening democratic institutions.

We are working with your country on all four of these. I have just finished the second Strategic Dialogue between our countries with Foreign Minister Mashabane. During the year, many officials of both of our governments, across many agencies, work together on important issues.

And then we meet annually to review progress in our cooperation. Let me give you just a few brief highlights that help paint a picture of the depth and breadth of our bilateral relationship.

Today at the Delft South Clinic, the United States signed a document with South Africa that marks a major transition in South Africa’s continuing fight against HIV/AIDS. South Africa will become the first country in Africa to plan, manage, and pay for more of your own efforts to combat the epidemic, while the United States will continue to provide funding and technical support through our PEPFAR program.

We also brought a delegation of leaders from American companies like FedEx and Chevron and Boeing and General Electric that are looking to expand their work in South Africa. They met with their counterparts from the South African business community, nearly 200 representatives looking to strengthen our ties commercially.

We launched a new $7.5 million public-private partnership to improve teacher quality that brings together our governments, foundations, and businesses. We announced the start of an opportunity grants program that will help disadvantaged South African students study in the United States. We established a Global Disease Detection Center that will be jointly led by health experts from our two countries. We established a new program to help judges and court systems more effectively combat gender-based violence, and to help South Africa support other countries in the region trying to do the same. And later today, we will complete an agreement with the City of Cape Town to provide high-speed internet access in Khayelitsha Province – or Township.

Now that’s quite a list and there is more to be said, but in short, it represents the work we are doing together, work that goes to the heart of our relationship that is aimed on improving the lives of people, working to eradicate disease, ameliorate and end poverty, working with you to help you solve the challenges you face.

But there is a different aspect of our relationship that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, and that’s how we can work with South Africa and all the nations of Africa to solve those challenges and problems not just within your borders, but across the continent and indeed throughout the world.

Our shared mission is essential to our common security and prosperity and to the fundamental character of the world of the 21^st century. This is about your world, the one you will inherit.

Consider some of the problems we face today – an anemic global economy, transnational crime and terrorism, climate change, disease, famine, nuclear proliferation. None of these problems can be solved by any one country acting alone or even by several countries acting together. Each one calls for a global network of partners – governments, businesses, international and regional organizations, academic institutions, civil society groups, even individuals all working in concert. And there cannot be a strong global network unless there are strong African partners.

Now I’ve often heard it said that African problems need African solutions. Well, I’m here to say that some of our global problems need African solutions too. (Applause.) And few nations on this continent can carry as much weight or be as effective partners and leaders as South Africa. (Applause.) You are a democratic power with the opportunity to influence Africa and the world. You have led on nonproliferation at the International Atomic Energy Agency and on climate change at the Durban conference. You’ve led on economic cooperation at the G-20. You’ve led on women’s participation in politics. And a South African woman will soon become chair of the African Union Commission, a first in the history of that organization. (Applause.)

Now all of this is good news for the people of South Africa, this continent, and the world. But respectfully, I say that we and you can, should, and must do more. Two days ago, I had the honor of visiting President Mandela and his wife Graca Machel at their home in Qunu. The man who did so much to shape the history of a free South Africa has never stopped thinking about the future of South Africa. You, the young generation, are called not just to preserve the legacy of liberty that has been left to you by Madiba and by other courageous men and women. You are called to build on that legacy, to ensure that your country fulfills its own promise and takes its place as a leader among nations and as a force for peace, opportunity, equality, and democracy, and to stand up always for human rights at home and around the world.

This is a journey that my own country knows well. Although America and South Africa are certainly different nations with different histories, we have a deep and abiding connection. Like you, Americans know what it takes to begin healing the wounds of oppression and discrimination. We have had leaders, and the Archbishop quoted one – our first president, George Washington – but also Soujourner Truth and Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others who both inspired us and challenged us to live up to our values, to keep faith with the ideals set forth and enunciated at our beginning. We know this work is hard, and it is not only ongoing, it is never-ending. But like you, we are compelled by the arc of our nation’s history to stand up around the world for the values we ascribe to and advance at home.

Now discussions about the rise of emerging powers like South Africa usually start and too often stop with people simply saying, “With great power comes great responsibility.” It is worth considering what this really means. Some critics are quick to say, when America says emerging powers have great responsibility, they mean great responsibility to do whatever America wants. Well, I do believe that because of your history, South Africa has an obligation to be a constructive force in the international community just as the United States does. But that obligation has nothing to do with what America or anyone else wants you to do. It has everything to do with who you are. Here in South Africa, you achieved something that few countries have ever done. You proved that it doesn’t take an all-out civil war to bridge the divide between people who grew up learning to hate one another. You showed that the rights of minorities can be protected even in places where the majority spent decades and decades living in oppression. You reminded the world that the way forward is not revenge, but truth and reconciliation.

Of course, you know better than I how much work needs to be done. South Africa faces daunting economic, social, and political challenges, but you have laid the foundation for a society that is more prosperous, more inclusive, more peaceful, more democratic. And the world needs you to contribute much because you already have accomplished much. For nations like ours, the United States and South Africa, doing these things that reflect our values, our histories for our own people can never be enough. We have to look beyond our borders.

So let me highlight some of the ways the United States and South Africa can work together to promote opportunity and development, spur economic growth, trade, and investment, advance peace and security, and strengthen democratic institutions. First, opportunity and development. Even as South Africa responds to your challenges at home, you are supporting your neighbor’s efforts to fight poverty to improve health, to create conditions for more sustainable inclusive growth. You’re working with the Government of Malawi to help farmers learn to use their land more efficiently and raise their incomes. You’re supporting South Sudan in efforts to train judges and strengthen their judicial system and so much more.

The United States and South Africa can share our experiences, pool our knowledge, leverage our resources so both of us get more and better results. For example, we are partnering with the University of Pretoria to train leaders from the public and private sector in other African countries in developing agricultural strategies. This is the kind of partnership we want to see more of, not just with South Africa but with other African countries that are becoming donors as well as recipients of assistance. Tanzania and Ghana, for example, are improving food security throughout East and West Africa. Nigeria has released food supplies to help its neighbors in the Sahel. We are only limited by our imagination. But of course, our goal must be opportunity for all, development for those most in need of lifting themselves and their families and communities out of poverty. If that remains our goal, there are limitless ways we can collaborate together.

The second pillar of our strategy – economic growth, trade, and investment – is another where the world looks to South Africa to play a constructive role in promoting a global economic architecture that benefits everyone. Now of course, that is easy to talk about and the devil is always in the details, whether we’re discussing unfair tariffs or the speed of trade liberalization or local content and ownership share requirements. But our shared interests are greater than any differences. We both want domestic and international rules that protect our workers while attracting investment from abroad. We both want clean and sustainable growth that does not pollute our water or our air. We both want transparency and a level playing field free of corruption. We both want to create jobs at home while promoting a global economic recovery that, as President Kennedy said, lifts all boats.

That’s why the Obama Administration remains committed to renewing the African Growth and Opportunity Act with South Africa included before the act expires in 2015. (Applause.) We’re pleased that Congress acted last week to extend the Third-Country Fabric Provision through 2015, which will have enormous benefits for entrepreneurs, especially women, in many of South Africa’s neighbors, and also create jobs in the United States. President Obama will sign this bill as soon as it reaches his desk.

But measures like the African Growth and Opportunity Act will not their reach their full potential, and Africa will not reach its full promise unless African countries break down the barriers with their neighbors. As we have seen from North and South America to East Asia, everyone benefits when neighbors open their markets to each other and take steps to spur regional trade and investment.

But unfortunately, there still is less trade among the countries of sub-Saharan Africa than in any other region of the world. South African leaders have said encouraging words about regional integration; now the region looks to them to help lead the effort to tear down the barriers that often make it easier to export goods halfway around the world than to your neighbors on the continent. President Zuma is picking up the mantle by championing an ambitious north-south infrastructure corridor, enlisting governments, the private sector, and regional organizations to realize that vision that has so often remained elusive – the highway from Cape Town to Cairo. Well, with South Africa in the lead, perhaps I will be able to come back in a few years and actually drive it. (Laughter.)

The third area of our shared agenda is peace and security. Now, South Africa and the United States have not always seen eye-to-eye in this area, particularly at the height of the crises in Libya and Cote d’Ivoire. But the differences we have between us in these moments are over tactics, not principles. And that should not obscure our many shared goals, from supporting the political transition in Somalia to combating piracy, from addressing the threat of terrorism and violent extremism across the Sahel to reinforcing the peace between Sudan and South Sudan.

In one especially crucial area, South Africa has set the standard for the world, stopping nuclear proliferation. As the first country to voluntarily give up nuclear weapons, South Africa speaks with rare authority. You can most convincingly make the case that giving up nuclear weapons is a sign of strength, not weakness. And you can help ensure – (applause) – and you can help ensure that any country that pursues nuclear weapons programs will invite only more pressure and isolation. This means South Africa can play an even greater role on issues like curbing Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons or preventing nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists.

And South Africa also is supported by and supports Africa’s regional institutions in advancing peace and security. We have worked closely with the African Union, which has emerged as an increasingly active force in addressing security challenges from Somalia to Mali to Sudan and South Sudan. And I thank the AU for all their efforts, led by former President Thabo Mbeki, to help broker the oil agreement reached by the two sides last week. Regional organizations like SADC or ECOWAS are engaged as we speak in peace and reconciliation efforts in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. More informal arrangements, like the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, are bringing leaders together to tackle the conflict in the Eastern Congo. South Africa plays an important leadership and supportive role in all of this.

Now, the fourth area is protecting human rights and democracy. Americans and South Africans alike pledge ourselves to the proposition that all people everywhere should live with dignity, pursue their dreams, voice their opinions freely, worship as they choose. We want to see all of that come to fruition.

Now, living up to these principles is not easy. No country’s record is spotless, including my own. Right now, many democracies in the global south, including South Africa, are engaged in a vigorous debate. On the one hand, they want to promote democratic values and respect for human rights in other nations. But on the other hand, they are wary of intervention that bears on the internal affairs of those other nations.

Ultimately, we are all called to answer the question about how we live up to these principles that we share, and there are no easy solutions, and one country may not answer that question the same way as another. But we all have to recognize that anywhere in any place where human rights are abused and democracy – true democracy – denied, the international community must apply pressure to help bring about positive change. No one understands that better than the people of South Africa.

So we welcome South Africa’s support last week for the resolution at the UN General Assembly condemning Syria and the Assad regime’s brutal reign of terror. I hope this vote can be the foundation for a new level of cooperation on one of the more urgent questions of our time.

More broadly, at the UN Human Rights Council and other venues, we look to you to help lead the effort to protect universal human rights for everyone. When old friends in power become corrupt and repressive, a decision by South Africa to stand on the side of freedom is not a sign that you’re giving up on old allies. It’s a reminder to yourselves and the world that your values don’t stop at your borders. And I particularly appreciate the leadership role that South Africa and other southern African democracies like Zambia and Botswana can play in supporting the newest democracies. Egypt, Tunisia, South Sudan, Libya, Kyrgyzstan, and others are looking for advice and models. And you can point to a university like this one, which insisted on the freedom to teach whomever and however they saw fit. You can point to the independent trade unions that stood up for workers’ rights and the civil society groups that provided legal counsel and other essential support. You can point to the courageous journalists who insisted on telling the truth even when it invited the government’s wrath.

And here in Africa, the international community has made it clear that the people of Zimbabwe deserve the right to have their voices and votes heard and counted in a free and fair election. Thanks to the efforts of President Zuma and SADC, along with Zimbabwe’s civil society, a draft of a new constitution is nearly complete. Now these same leaders can help accelerate progress toward finalizing and adopting that new constitution through a credible referendum and holding a free and fair election monitored by the international community. (Applause.) And if Zimbabwe’s leaders meet these commitments, the United States is prepared to match action for action. (Applause.)

So in each of these four areas – development, economic growth, peace and security, democracy and human rights – South Africa already embodies so many of the values that the world is looking for. And we look forward to deepening our cooperation. But let us remember no country’s influence is a birthright – not America’s and not South Africa’s. (Applause.) We have our own work cut out for us to keep moving toward and trying to achieve the unachievable more perfect union, to live up to our values, to use our influence and power to help others achieve their own dreams. And if South Africa is to achieve the full measure of your own ambition, you too must face and solve your own challenges in health and education, economic inequality, unemployment, race relations, gender-based violence, the issues that you live with and must address.

These are areas that we too face, and we stand ready to work with you, but only the people of South Africa can make the decisions about how you will solve these problems and overcome these challenges.

Only South Africans can fight corruption. Only South Africans can prevent the use of state security institutions for political gain. Only South Africans can defend your democratic institutions, preventing the erosion of a free press and demanding strong opposition parties and an independent judiciary. Only South Africans can truly preserve and extend the legacy of the Mandela generation.

And these are tasks not just for governments. These are tasks for every citizen – political leaders, teachers, civil servants, entrepreneurs, community activists. And there is a special responsibility for the young people of South Africa, including all the students here today.

Someday soon, you will be making decisions about your future – choosing your career, thinking about whether to start a family. These are deeply personal choices that will shape the life you lead.

But you will also be called on to define the very nature of your citizenship and your country’s approach to your fellow citizens and the world. You will decide whether South Africa moves forward and not backward. You will decide whether South Africa seeks to erase old dividing lines in global politics. You will decide whether South Africa seeks to set aside old suspicions and instincts and embrace new partnerships tailored to 21^st century challenges. Our own partnership – not only between our governments, but between our people – can grow deeper and stronger if both of us remember our respective histories and the obligations they impose if we keep focused on the future and move toward it together.

Nearly 50 years ago, Robert F. Kennedy – a United States senator, attorney general, and champion of civil rights – came to Cape Town and gave a heartfelt speech about South Africa’s place in the world. He painted a vivid picture of the future he envisioned, one where every nation respects universal human rights, promotes social justice, accelerates economic progress, liberates all people to pursue their talents.

South Africa, he said, can play an “outstanding role” in creating that world. And he called in particular on the young people of that time, saying, “This world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity.”

One of my personal heroines, and a former predecessor as First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt once said that human rights really starts in the small places close to home. It’s easy to talk about the big, sweeping issues, to pledge ourselves to the abstractions of human rights. It’s harder – much harder – to reach deep inside of our hearts and minds to truly see the other, whether that other is of a different race, ethnicity, religion, tribe, national origin, and recognize the common humanity.

I have been in and around politics for a long time. It’s easy to lose sight of the common humanity of those who oppose you. You get to feeling that your way is the right way, that your agenda is the only one that will save the people. And all of the sudden, you begin to dehumanize the opposition and the other.

The greatest lesson I learned about this came from Nelson Mandela. When I came to that inauguration in 1994, it was a time of great political conflict in my own country. My husband was President. People were saying terrible things about us both – personally, politically, every way you could think of. (Laughter.) And I was beginning to get pretty hard inside. I was beginning to think, “Who do they think they are? What can I do to get even?” (Laughter.)

After that inauguration that I described in the beginning, I, along with other dignitaries from all over the world were invited to a great lunch under a huge tent at the President’s house. I had had breakfast there in the morning with President de Klerk, and I came back to have lunch with President Mandela. (Laughter.) Oh, there were so many important people there. Our delegation was led by our Vice President. There were kings and prime ministers and presidents, and just a glittering assembly.

And President Mandela stood to greet us all and welcome us to that lunch. And he said, “I know you are all very important people, and I invite you all to our new country. I thank you for coming. But the three most important people to me, here in this vast assembly, are three men who were my jailers on Robben’s Island.” I sat up so straight. (Laughter.) I turned to the person next to me to say, “What did he say?” (Laughter.) He said that the most important people here were three of his jailers.

And he said, “I want them to stand up.” And three middle-aged white men stood up. He called them by name. He said, “In the midst of the terrible conditions in which I was held for so many years, each of those men saw me as a human being. They treated me with dignity and respect. They talked to me; they listened. And when I walked out of prison, I knew I had a choice to make. I could carry the bitterness and the hatred of what had been done to me in my heart forever, and I would still be in prison. Or I could begin to reconcile the feelings inside myself with my fellow human beings.”

That is the true legacy of President Mandela, calling all of us to complete the work he started, to overcome the obstacles, the injustices, the mistreatments that everyone – every one of us – will encounter at some point in our lives. That is truly what South Africa is called to do, to continue the struggle, but the struggle for human dignity, the struggle for respect, the struggle to lift people up and give children a chance – every boy and girl – to fulfill his or her God-given potential in this beautiful land that has been so blessed.

It’s a burden being an American or a South African, because people expect you to really live up to those standards. People hold us to a higher set of standards, don’t they? And we owe it to all who came before, all who sacrificed and suffered, to do our very best to keep working every single day to meet those standards. But we mostly owe it to our future.

Many things have changed since Robert Kennedy came to Cape Town and Nelson Mandela left Robben’s Island. But some have not. The world we want to build together still demands the qualities of youth and a predominance of courage over timidity. So in that spirit, let us work together so that the values that shaped both our nations may also shape a world that is more peaceful, more prosperous, and more just.

Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

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Hillary Clinton at Delft South Clinic in Cape Town

Posted in Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton Images, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged Africa, Cape Town, Delft South Clinic, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, PEPFAR, Secretary of State, South Africa, State Department, U.S. Department of State on August 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Remarks at a Visit to Delft South Clinic and PEPFAR Transition Signing

Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Delft South Clinic

Cape Town, South Africa

August 8, 2012

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it is such a great pleasure and honor to be with all of you here today to mark a new chapter in our country’s shared fight against HIV/AIDS.

And I so well remember that meeting three years ago with the Minister and with my colleague, Dr. Eric Goosby, Ambassador Goosby. We were looking for ways to be helpful. We were quite pleased at the strong position taken by President Zuma and his government. And we knew that Minister Motsoaledi had been given a huge task.

I have to tell you just personally, but also on behalf of the American team who are here, who have worked on this, we are very grateful to you, Minister, because it is one thing to – (applause) – be given a very important and difficult task, as you were, and it’s something even more important to have implemented so successfully. And to all the members of the South Africa team, at the national level, at the provincial and local level, we are very, very impressed and very grateful for what we have seen happen these last three years.

So I, of course, want to thank the Minister. Also Mayor, thank you. Mayor de Lille, thank you for being here. MEC Botha, thank you. Dr. Grimwood, Sister de Villiers, thank you all for welcoming us here today.

I am joined by a delegation of Americans who are committed to our relationship with South Africa, and in particular to our shared fight against HIV/AIDS. The U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, Don Gips, the U.S. Global AIDS coordinator, Ambassador Eric Goosby. Would you stand up Dr. Goosby, please? (Applause.) And of course, we very much appreciate working with Ambassador Rasool, who represents your country so well in Washington. Ambassador John Davies, director for North America, Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson, who works on African issues with me in the State Department, and so many others who are here.

Since 2003, our countries have worked side by side through the U.S. initiative known as PEPFAR. Our collaboration has been vast and effective. The United States has provided $3.2 billion U.S. dollars to support South Africa’s comprehensive response to the epidemic. (Applause.) And look at the results. Together, through our joint efforts, more than 1.2 million South Africans began treatment for HIV, and 2.4 million people with HIV have received care. Nearly 15 million people were tested during last year’s national testing campaign. And I, too, wish to applaud everyone who has worked so hard to bring down the rate of mother-to-child transmission. It’s now down to a remarkable 2.7 percent, and we want to work with you to bring it to zero – (applause) – so no baby is every born with the virus.

And the number of places where South Africans can receive antiretroviral drugs has grown from 490 to 3,000, and I just saw and heard about the very impressive work being done in this pharmacy to ensure that drugs are dispensed efficiently with some very new, creative ideas about how to do that in order to try to deal with the long lines that are traditional at pharmacy windows. I’ve been in many such clinics, not only in Africa, but even in my own country, and the crowd around the windows is often two, three, four, five people deep, and it may take hours. I’m going to be immediately texting my husband about what I have seen here. (Laughter and applause.) And as you know, he worked with Dr. Goosby and other physicians and experts way back when on many of these issues. But we have to constantly be asking ourselves what can we do and what we can we do more efficiently to get more results more quickly.

Now, when we look back at where South Africa was a decade ago, these numbers represent remarkable progress. AIDS did represent an unprecedented national emergency, and we needed to scale up treatment and care to millions of people as fast as we could. That’s what we’ve done together. But let’s be honest here, this disease is still very dangerous. It’s still demands our close attention. But at least now there is a system in place that can help keep it under control and hopefully prevent it, so we can achieve that AIDS-free generation that I and others spoke of at the AIDS conference in Washington.

So please let me say to all of you across South Africa, who have contributed to this fight at every level of government, and the civil society, and the private sector, thank you for what you have done. Because of you, South Africa and the entire region has the hope for a better, healthier, more secure future.

But even as we take this moment to say well done, we cannot make the mistake of thinking our job is done. Our countries share this goal of an AIDS-free generation. That means making sure every person who needs antiretroviral treatment gets it; every pregnant woman with HIV receives the support she needs so her child is born and stays HIV-free and the mother remains healthy; all South Africans have access to the information and resources they need to protect themselves from this infection. Now, these are the objectives of the work that we’ve already begun together. We need to stay focused and committed.

And I want to just add that I was recently in Uganda on this trip, and many of you who have worked in HIV/AIDS for a long time know Uganda was the success story. Uganda tackled this epidemic earlier, more forcefully than most countries in the world. In fact, the very first patient to receive antiretroviral drugs from PEPFAR was in Kampala, Uganda, and I met him when I was there. I shook his hand. I met his daughters, of whom he is very proud. So he came in nearly dead and has now lived for years with the disease.

However – I discussed this with the President of Uganda, with health workers, with the Health Minister – Uganda is now the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa where the infection is going up, because they are the first to tell you they stopped focusing on prevention. So the system for taking care of people already infected has to be focused and supported, but let’s not forget prevention, because we do not want to see reversals of all the progress that has been made here and elsewhere.

This is has been a true partnership. Both South Africa and the United States brought resources, expertise, and commitment. We could not have done it without our mutual investment. And what we are doing here today will ensure that our partnership continues. The Partnership Framework that Minister Mashabane and I signed in 2010 described the next phase of our country’s shared fight. The document that will be signed here now, the Implementation Plan for the Partnership Framework, is a roadmap for how we will carry out this next phase. It puts South Africa firmly in the lead while committing both countries to the core goals of expanding prevention, care, and treatment to more people, while making sure that existing services continue without interruption.

By taking the lead and continuing to increase its investments, the South African Government is ensuring that its national strategy will be sustainable, efficient, and even more responsive to the specific needs of different communities and populations. And the coalition that South Africa has created with government, civil society, faith-based organizations, academic medical centers, and others will be a powerful motor for progress.

Nonetheless, some people may hear South Africa is in the lead and think that means that the United States is bowing out. So let me say this clearly: The United States is not going anywhere. (Applause.) We will continue to be your close partners through PEPFAR. We will continue working with the government and civil society. We have formed many close and vital relationships in the past decade, and we remain committed to them.

During this transition period, we will continue to directly support the healthcare needs of the people of South Africa. We will focus on supporting the South African Government as it strengthens its technical capacities so it can do even more in the long run. So while this partnership is changing, we believe it is changing for the better. This is what our governments always hoped and intended, that South Africa would increasingly be in the lead. It is a signal of the strong progress we’ve made and the strong relationship we have built.

So today at this clinic, whose name translates, I am told, into meaning “choose life,” in Cape Town alone, you are providing treatment for more than 26,000 people. You have been supported by PEPFAR. We are going to continue to work with you even as the South African Government increases its support. We are in this for the long haul. This disease is no respecter of boundaries, no respecter of any kind of attribute. It does not respect race or religion, ethnicity, gender. It is an equal opportunity infection – (laughter) – and can be an equal opportunity killer.

So this is part of what we all should be working toward, where we, with our shared humanity, reach out to help one another, but also recognize the responsibility to help ourselves. And we are delighted that we are at this important juncture. We will embark upon the next chapter in our relationship with renewed determination, because our goal is no new AIDS patients. AIDS patients – zero is the number we are looking for. And by continuing to work together and embracing smart strategies, I believe that the United States and South Africa can reach that goal.

Thank you all so very much. (Applause.)

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SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: Public Schedule for August 8, 2012

Posted in Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Secretary of State Travel, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged Africa, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, South Africa, State Department, U.S. Department of State on August 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Public Schedule for August 8, 2012

Public Schedule

Washington, DC

August 8, 2012

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
PUBLIC SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2012

SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

Secretary Clinton is on foreign travel to Cape Town, South Africa. Secretary Clinton is accompanied by Counselor Mills, Assistant Secretary Carson, Under Secretary Hormats, Spokesperson Nuland, Director Sullivan, Ambassador Goosby, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs Grant Harris, and VADM Harry B. Harris, Jr., JCS. Please click here for more information.

10:15 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton visits Delft South Clinic and participates in a PEPFAR Transition Signing, in Cape Town, South Africa.
(OPEN PRESS FOR REMARKS)

11:30 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton delivers remarks titled “Going Global: the U.S.-South Africa Partnership,” in Cape Town, South Africa.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)

12:40 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton meets with the staff and families of Consulate General Cape Town, in Cape Town, South Africa.
(POOLED PRESS COVERAGE)

1:15 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Clinton meets with Former South African President F.W. de Klerk, in Cape Town, South Africa.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

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Hillary Clinton with AU Chair Designate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

Posted in Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, state department, U.S. Department of State, tagged Africa, African Union, Foreign Policy, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Secretary of State, South Africa, State Department, U.S. Department of State on August 8, 2012| 3 Comments »

No public schedule for today has been posted as yet, but here are some photos from yesterday when Mme. Secretary met with the newly elected chairperson of the African Union Commission, South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, at the presidential guesthouse in Pretoria. No remarks were issued, but the pictures say a lot!

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